Page 109 of Twisted Steel

Raven lifts her beer.“Emotionally, they were toddlers.”

Fury raises his hand.“I object.”

Mama M shouts from the kitchen door, “You would.”

Crimson actually huffs something close to a laugh before his face sobers.“I’m sorry.For what I said.For making you feel like you had to prove your place when you were already standing in it.”

Harper is quiet for a long moment before she nods.“Thank you.”

Crimson looks surprised.“You’re not going to make me suffer more?”he asks.

Harper smiles sweetly.Too sweetly.“I didn’t say that.”

The yard erupts.Fury whoops.Raven laughs.Milo claps like a delighted menace.And Crimson drops his head and takes it because, apparently, the man has learned.Harper steps closer to him and lowers her voice, but I still hear her because I hear everything around her.

“You were an ass,” she says.“But you apologized in public and that matters.”

Crimson nods once.“You’re good for him.”

Harper’s gaze shifts to me and heat moves low in my gut.

“No,” she says.“I’m good with him.”The correction matters.

Crimson nods again.“Yeah.That.”

I hold Harper’s stare across the yard as he walks away.The whole damn party moves around us, but none of it matters.Her words have hooked into me and pulled.

‘Good with him.’

Not for him.Not because of him.With.

I cross the yard with long strides, and she watches me come, mouth curving like she already knows what I’m thinking.

She doesn’t.If she did, she would run.

I stop in front of her.“You good?”I ask.

She sighs.“There it’s.The terrible question.”

“Answer me, woman.”

“I’m good.”Her smile softens.“Better than good.”

Milo groans.“Please don’t become sentimental near the ribs.”

Harper doesn’t look away from me.“I’m proud of Crimson.”

“So am I,” Milo says.“Growth is sexy.”

Crimson, behind us, chokes on his beer.

Fury points at him.“That’s the first time anyone has called you sexy for personal development.”

“Fuck off,” Crimson mutters.

Raven slides off the truck.“This party has everything.Meat.Emotional accountability.Threatening eye contact.I’m moved.”

Savage looks at her.“You don’t look moved.”